|
|
Article: Monkey See, Monkey Glow.(genetically modified primates)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Science World
- Article date:
- February 12, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Scholastic, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Meet ANDi ("inserted DNA" spelled backward), the world's first genetically modified primate (order including apes, monkeys, and humans). The four-month-old Rhesus monkey was born with an extra glowing gene--called Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP). No, scientists at Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) in Beaverton aren't aiming to breed new species of glow-in-the-dark monkeys. What they hope ANDi will lead to is a bridge to finding cures for complex human diseases like cancer.
For decades scientists have genetically altered mice to create disease test models. "But mice and humans are so different in their genetic makeup," says Jim Newman, a spokesman at OHSU. ...